Axe of the Dwarvish Lords
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is an artifact; a unique magical weapon of great power within the context of the game. Long associated with the World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the axe made its first appearance in the small saddle-stapled supplement booklet Eldritch Wizardry , written for the first published edition of D&D. It was later presented in a number of publications belonging to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) edition of that game . An adventure module Axe of the Dwarvish Lords involving the Axe and written by long-time Dungeons & Dragons designer Skip Williams was published under the TSR imprint in 1999, after Wizards of the Coast had purchased TSR, Inc., and revived the long-dormant Greyhawk campaign setting. Description and powers In it's earliest form in Eldritch Wizardry the artifact is described as a short-handled axe backed by a clawed hammer head, with its history being that it was forged far in the D&D world's past by a king of the dwarves. Regarding it's powers in the game, as a weapon the item has all the powers of a sword of sharpness, additionally it confers on its user the keen eyesight and senses of the dwarven race, an ability to teleport at intervals, and a weekly wish spell. The artifact's possessor faces certain inherent disadvantages imposed by the intense magic of the weapon, however. The longer the item is in a person's possession, the more that person's appearance will begin to become dwarf-like (facial hair, shrinking height and increasing girth). The possessor takes additional damage from any attacks and must sacrifice a living human in order to activate the axe for each 24 hour period. In publications for AD&D the axe's powers and history were further detailed, with the Dungeon Master's Guide describing it's maker as the "first Dwarven King" who forged it with the aid of a deity, and having been lost in the Invoked Devastation, a fictional event taking place in the history of the World of Greyhawk setting. The Book of Artifacts expands on this history, having the axe as one of "Five Great Tools" forged by the king. In this history the axe is given the additional name of "The Fierce Axe," but the details of the loss of the axe are changed, with the event that caused it being a civil war among the dwarves for possession of the axe. Along with it's history, the powers of the axe were changed in these publications. The Dungeon Master's Guide dropped some of the powers ascribed to it in Eldritch Wizardry for a system where each individual dungeon master would determine further powers. In Book of Artifacts the powers were again strictly defined, although some were still different than those given in Eldritch Wizardry. The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords adventure module, written for the second edition rules for AD&D greatly expanded on the history given in Book of Artifacts, going into great detail regarding the fictional forging of the axe and the dwarven civil war. The powers of the axe are also detailed in greater depth and again changed somewhat from previous versions, though the axe's physical description remains essentially the same. In the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons Epic Level Handbook the Axe is described as it has been in products since Book of Artifacts. Regarding its powers it is described as a dwarven war-axe with a powerful enhancement bonus to increase the chances of successfully hitting an opponent. Additional special abilities of the axe include a doubled chance of scoring a critical hit, the ability to be thrown by its wielder as if it were an throwing weapon, and an increased chance of successfully hitting and dealing extra damage to goblinoid opponents. Any non-dwarf who holds the axe loses some of their vitality, while a dwarf who holds it gains an improved ability to see in the dark, bonuses to the wielder's ability to craft items, and the ability to summon an elder earth elemental. History The fictional legends within the D&D game state that it was forged by the First King of the dwarves for the honor of the god Moradin, and was lost after the Invoked Devastation and Rain of Colorless Fire. It was the last of the Five Great Tools; the others were the Brutal Pick, the Earthheart Forge, the Anvil of Songs, and the Shaping Hammer. The other four tools were used to make the fifth. Legend has it that when the Axe is found again, the Age of High Kings will return and the dwarven peoples will be reunited at last. Other uses Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is also the title of a 1999 Dungeons & Dragons adventure module written by Skip Williams. In the adventure, the player characters must retrieve the artifact the Axe of the Dwarves Lords from an evil wizard who had stolen the powerful weapon, and intends to use it to use it to marshal a massive goblin army against a dwarven community, while avoiding an agent of the derro god Diirinka. A positive review of the module was given by notable game designer S. John Ross for delivering an exciting adventure despite "...its tremendous flaws of writing and design." References Category:Artifacts Category:Greyhawk magical items